There are about as many variations to fantasy football as there are ice cream flavors. Players earn points based on how they perform in real life, and every league is customizable for the countless preferences. The first step in the process is getting together a league. Any fantasy football site lets you choose to join a private league with people you know, or join a random league with people you don't know. Leagues tend to range from eight to 16 teams, although some leagues even have more or less. Once the league is established, there is your fantasy draft.

Fantasy football drafts have recently expanded over the last few years to more unique ways. Most leagues use a "snake" pattern of drafting in which the order in which a team gets to choose a player alternates every round. For example, in an eight team league, the person with the first overall pick would not draft again until pick number 17. Some leagues just repeat the order of drafting for every round. Fairly recently, a type of auction draft has become popular. In this format, teams each get allotted a certain amount of fake money to spend as they please as they bid on available players. This format allows every team a chance at every player and forces them to weigh other options so as not to run out of money.

After the draft is complete, each team will have a roster with an equal number of players as everyone else. Scoring is very important, and as said earlier, it can vary from league to league. The majority of leagues offer one point for every 10 yards rushing and another point for every 10 yards receiving. Passers usually get one point for every 25 yards passing because they normally end up with more yards at the end of the game. Every touchdown is usually worth six points except in some leagues where a passing touchdown is only worth four because of the aforementioned reason. Some leagues play with individual defensive players, in which points would be given out for things like tackles. Traditionally, a whole team's defense/special teams is drafted as a unit and is awarded one or two points for turnovers and sacks, and six points for touchdowns. Each week there are fantasy matchups with two teams, just like in real football. Based on the point system, the team whose players earned them more points than their opponent wins the game and improves their record. The decided amount of teams at the top of the league make the playoffs usually around weeks 14 or 15 of the NFL season and duke it out to the championship.

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